12 May 2012

Mocha Chip Cookies

I love coffee. I love tea. I love the java jive and it loves me. I am one of those pampered Seattle girls who thinks non-gourmet coffee is sinful. To me, Guatemala will be the equivalent of heaven because of the fantastic coffee you can get down there for dirt cheap. Pour me a big ol' cup of dark roast and then, let the day begin.

Thanks to the hubs, chocolate is now an essential finale to my morning java. Typically, he goes for the mocha and I take it straight up black. However, when we were in Maui, he introduced me to frozen Hawaiian Host Caramacs as a pre-breakfast snack. "Chocolate before breakfast?! Never!" said I. That statement was immediately rescinded as soon as I tried these little babies with a hot cup of coffee. The caramel goes from rock hard to melty warm with the coffee in your mouth and the macadamia nut crunch...oh baby! But the chocolate is truly the star....it is just fabulous with coffee.

When I can't get my hands on caramacs, some good dark chocolate or a Rolo will do me just fine. However, that will always be my perfect morning cup.

In addition to mochas, the hubs loves cookies. And right now he is requesting them on nearly a weekly basis. He is taking his medical board exam in less than 5 weeks and his stress level is through the roof. And being a happy-to-oblige wife that I am, cookies have been keeping my KitchenAid dust free and fabulous. (It may also have something to do with me being a happy-to-help-eat wife, but we don't need to go there.) And to ensure that we don't go through cookie burnout, I've been trying all sorts of different types. Chocolate orange, caramel stuffed snickerdoodle and brownie-caramel-cookie bars are a few recent creations that have graced our presence. So I thought, let's take the warm, melty, gooey goodness of a chocolate chip cookie and add the coffee, just without the added hassle of cleaning the pot.

We happen to possess the absolute best chocolate chip cookie recipe. Of. All. Time. Nestle, Joy of Cooking and your grandma have nothing on this bad boy. I lost it for one fitful weekend and tried out a few similar recipes, but they just weren't the same. The three days it took to get this from my sister-in-law (the only person we have given it to) was a like a period of mourning for us. We love these cookies so much, they were the favors at our wedding.

So back to java.

Today I took our amazing cookie recipe, tweaked it a bit, added some coffee and BAM! Wow. This might be the best cookie I've ever had with a glass of milk. It's the classic rich, gooey and chocolatey cookie but the coffee cuts the sweetness a bit. You are left with something more savory and really palate pleasing. In the hubs words, it a darker flavor, but without losing the sweetness. It's simply amazing. Make these, please? If you don't, I'll be sad for your mouth.

Please see the cute mini-cookies below. Try rolling making a few pop-able trays in addition to the standard size. They're quite delightful. Just take a minute off the baking time.

Oh, and a quick note about the shortening. You could probably replace it with butter, but I do not recommend this. The shortening creates a nice, crispy exterior on the cookie which is slamming with the gooey interior.

Mocha Chip Cookies (makes about 48 cookies)

3 tbs instant coffee or 3 packets of Starbucks Via (I used decaf)

2 tsp vanilla

10 tbs shortening

10 tbs unsalted butter, softened

1 c sugar

1 scant cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

3 c flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine the instant coffee with 1 tablespoon of water and the vanilla. Stir together to combine and let sit for a few minutes so coffee can completely dissolve.

Combine shortening, butter, sugars, eggs and the coffee mixture in a mixing bowl. Mix together until smooth. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth. Add the chocolate chips and stir together well. If it looks like there's too many chips, it's just right!

Gently roll dough into balls and set on parchment paper. Bake 8-10 minutes, until they look mostly done, but still a little soft in the middle.

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About the Chefs

I love food. So does my hubs. And our puppy seems to think it's pretty great too. In fact, she eats better than most humans I know.

With our small little family of two and a half, we are often cutting down recipes to prevent piles of leftovers. Lots of our dishes are perfectly proportioned for two to four, but can be easily multiplied to feed your own unique family. So whether you're craving a little or a lot, we've got you covered.